Yes, netflix to make content that informs and gives hope. Germany is clear about what happened to russias most high profile opposition politician, alexei nalvany. This was Angela Merkel earlier. Translation the presence of this poison was discovered without any doubt. Therefore, it is now certain that Alexei Navalny is the victim of a crime. The attempt was to silence him, and i condemn this. Alexei navalny is being treated in germany. And this story dates back to 20 august when he became ill on a flight to siberia. These pictures show him being stretchered into an ambulance. He was then airlifted to berlin and has been in a coma since. Heres Angela Merkel on what she now expects from the kremlin, and what action germany will take next. Translation we expect the russian government to give an explanation. There are no Great Questions which only the russian government can and must answer. The fate of Alexei Navalny has made headlines around the world. The world will expect answers. We will inform our partners in the eu and nato and will find a common response. Now, lets look at what novichok is. The term describes a group of nerve agents developed by the soviet union in the 70s and 80s. Novichoks were designed to be particularly toxic. Theyre very hard to detect, are lethal even in very small quantities and can take effect in under two minutes. Most often those affected will inhale or consume the agent. We learnt a lot about this when it is used in an attack on surrogate skripal. The uk government determined they had been poisoned in an attack. Heres british toxicologist alastair hay on what novichok does to the body. Their essential role is to block a message from nerves to muscles, and that sends the muscles into spasm, really. The most crucial ones, of course, the ones that control your breathing, but all your muscles are affected, and if somebody was exposed to the nerve agent through the mouth then it would be muscles in the stomach and got particularly that would be first affected, and so you get violent contraction and pain, so somebody would be feeling really extreme pain around the stomach. Once the chemical is absorbed into the bloodstream, it would go rapidly to all of the nerves and affect all of the muscles, breathing, so somebody then needs intensive support in an intensive care unit. They also affect the brain, and somebody could become unconscious as a result either of muscle failure or through an action directly on the brain. Next lets get the latest on Alexei Navalny. Jenny hill is at the hospital where hes being treated. He is still in a serious condition, he is still in intensive care and on a ventilator, and they still say they cant yet assess whether there will be any long term ill effects of the poisoning on his health, but he is, they say, making some progress. As youd imagine, germanys conclusion that novichok was used, raises immediate issues for the russian government. Heres one russian journalist. Its not a substance that is laying around anywhere that you can get at any pharmacy, so it also implicates i wouldnt necessarily say the kremlin, but certainly very high ranking figures in the russian government, in the russian system, in this poisoning, and if it doesnt, then another point of concern is how theyd whoever did this against navalny, how did they get their hands on a nerve agent like this . Is this something that is being used left right and centre . i mean, what about the other people on the plane . Navalny was on a plane when he fell sick. So there are a lot of questions that have arisen today around this. We can reasonably say Alexei Navalny is the most prominent opponent of president putin. And hes hasnt been shy. Hes called mr putin and his party crooks and thieves who are sucking the blood out of russia. Hes also vowed to destroy a feudal state being built. Hes also beenjailed over ten times for organising Anti Government protests. For example, here he is being carried away from a rally in 2018 just before Vladimir Putin was sworn in as president. And to be clear, hes got enemies among opposition groups too. For example he was criticised in 2014 for his views on russias annexation of ukraines crimea peninsular. He said that despite crimea being seized, the reality is that crimea is now part of russia. He added crimea is ours. Mr navalny has also led high profile campaigns against corruption in russias biggest state companies. So, there are plenty of people who dont like him, but using a nerve agent against him is quite another thing. Sarah rainsford is in moscow. What sort of reaction has there been . We have heard now from the Foreign Ministry and the kremlin, the Foreign Ministry essentially saying this is megaphone diplomacy and accusing german politicians are getting involved when what they want to hear from getting involved when what they want to hearfrom maids what getting involved when what they want to hear from maids what they call the experts. They say they have been lea pt the experts. They say they have been leapt more public statements without presenting any facts. The Prosecutors Office here in russia had sent a request to the german medics treating Alexei Navalny, but there had been no response. The spokesperson for Vladimir Putin was saying as well that when mr navalny was tested by russian doctors here in siberia, that no poisonous substance was found, so denial and doubts being spread from here in russia about the statements coming now from the german government. Clearly mr navalny has been a thorn in the side of a number of powerful russian people and organisations, but is their surprise that this kind of attack might have been carried out against him . Well, not amongst his supporters, for sure. They see very much very senior figures in russia being involved in this, if we are tojudge by russia being involved in this, if we are to judge by their twitter accounts, for example, one very close ally of Alexei Navalny tweeted saying using novichok in 2020 is like leaving your signature of the crime scene. Another one said that this is without doubt cannot be the result of anyone working apart from the intelligence agencies in russia because of the discovery of novichok. This is not the type of substance that is easy to acquire commerce which is why they are poking the finger at the very top. Alexei navalny does have a lot of very powerful enemies, notjust because of his political activities, his street protests against president putin and his policies, but also his Anti Corruption investigations which have targeted very powerful figures here investigations which have targeted very powerfulfigures here in russia. People with good contacts and people very close to the kremlin. I was mentioning a couple of minutes ago, whenever we mention novichok now we immediately think of the salisbury attacks. The russian government involves any involvement, but other countries have concluded otherwise. What impact has that had on russias standing in the world . Well, russia would say that as it wasnt guilty of the salisbury poisoning is that it hasnt had any impact at all, and like to focus very much on the fact that it believes that the attempt to isolate russia have failed, but, of course, it has had an impact, it has had an impact on the economy, sanctions politically have had an impact on russia. It does matter. Again, russia. It does matter. Again, russia has continued to deny so many things over the years, we are seeing the beginnings of that kind of policy, i think, the beginnings of that kind of policy, ithink, once the beginnings of that kind of policy, i think, once again. The beginnings of that kind of policy, ithink, once again. The question is, for the kremlin, if the kremlin is not evolved and did not sanction this attack on Alexei Navalny, perhaps the kremlin can come up with the answers as to who it. Whenever senior figures come up with the answers as to who it. Whenever seniorfigures in here russia have ended up getting attacked are getting into trouble, we have never really got to the bottom of who has been behind it. Thank you very much, very useful. Of course, now, the germans have been so course, now, the germans have been so unequivocal about what is happening, the rest of the world needs to decide how to respond. Frances court the use of novichok shocking and irresponsible. Heres the. Translation we will now, without delay, inform our partners in the European Union and nato, through the appropriate channels, about these new discoveries. We will debate with them how we, in europe, can react appropriately. Our decision will also depend on how russia now behaves. Uk Prime Minister borisjohnson has tweeted its outrageous that a chemical weapon was used against Alexei Navalny. We have seen first hand the deadly consequences of novichok in the uk. The russian government must now explain what happened to mr navalny we will work with International Partners to ensure justice is done. Heres the assessment of tom tugendhat, the chair of the uk parliaments Foreign Affairs select committee. Again, we have seen a pattern of violence against activists, against journalists, against opposition politicians by the putin regime that, you know, has been going on, now, for the best part of a decade. This is, again, another horrific piece of evidence that what we are dealing with here is not a nation state in the normal sense of the word, but a mafia regime. Lets bring in our security correspondent, frank gardner. What were your thoughts when the government to put out that statement earlier . I was shocked, government to put out that statement earlier . Iwas shocked, because government to put out that statement earlier . I was shocked, because the announcement that this was novichok and not some naturally occurring toxin, this moves onto a completely different plane for us. This is a totally different order, because, as somebody explained earlier, novichok is not something you can cook up in your kitchen. It is a military grade, highly toxic nerve agent, developed in a secret lab in uzbekistan in the 70s and 805, and uzbekistan in the 705 and 805, and subsequently uzbekistan in the 705 and 805, and 5ub5equently refined by russia to be used as an assassination weapon by the grou, the military intelligence, according to experts on this, and we know from people what happened in salisbury the effect it can have. Pretty much the entire city had to be decontaminated by people in these huge kind of space 5uit5, so it is a dangerou5, lethal chemical, and even though this was taking place on what russian 5oil are not a western country, it has really touched a raw nerve with western governments. We have seen the reaction is already today from washington paris berlin, london, and there will be other5, today from washington paris berlin, london, and there will be others, so it really depends on what the reaction of the you pcw i5, it really depends on what the reaction of the you pcw is, the global that people on chemical weapons. Global that people on chemical weapon5. There global that people on chemical weapons. There are global that people on chemical weapon5. There are really only two explanations, assuming the germans have got it right. Either the russia state was behind this, all they have got a leak and this very dangerous chemical has got into row cans. They are going to have to decide what is the explanation. To be clear, anyone who carries out an attack u5ing novichok will know that there is very high lying likelihood that fact will be find out. Yes, unless they u5e unwitting agent to do it. A few years ago, north korea used some unwitting expatriate worker5, lowly paid worker5, unwitting expatriate worker5, lowly paid workers, to smear vx nerve agent onto the face of a relative of the north korean leader, kimjong erton, and he rushed to say he was in great pain and they were not able to save him. He died in great pain, but they did not know what they were doing. They were arrested, they thought it was some kind of tvjoke, 5ome thought it was some kind of tvjoke, some kind of gimmick. So, they were u5ed. Some kind of gimmick. So, they were used. I do not think that is likely to be the case here. Somebody put 5ome substance into the stream at his tea, probably at the airport. Novichok i5 his tea, probably at the airport. Novichok is something that can be used in both liquid and solid form, its a powder, so its relatively easy to deploy, and there is u nfortu nately a easy to deploy, and there is unfortunately a pattern of poisoning by people targeting enemie5 unfortunately a pattern of poisoning by people targeting enemies of the state in russia, but Alexei Navalny has a lot of enemies both inside and outside the states, he is an Anti Corruption campaigner who has angered a lot of people in the country. Thank you very much indeed. We heard from sarah in moscow, frank in london, we will have more on the germans concluding novichok wa5 in london, we will have more on the germans concluding novichok was used in this attack on Alexei Navalny in 15 minutes or so. Lets look at some of the days other news. Silvio berlusconi has tested positive for covid i9. The media tycoon who served a5 italys Prime Minister in four governments is currently in isolation and working from home at his house near milan. Here in the uk around 350 migrants have reached dover by boat after crossing the channel. Its believed this could be a new high a government source says the previous record stands at 235 in a single day last month. The duke and duchess of sussex harry and meghan
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